Ohio State, Battelle cement collaboration

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State University and Battelle Memorial Institute today (11/5) signed an official memorandum of understanding (MOU) to enhance the strong collaboration between one of the nation’s premier research institutions and one of the world’s largest independent research and development organizations.

In signing the MOU, Ohio State President Karen A. Holbrook and Battelle President and CEO Carl F. Kohrt declared their intent to leverage their institutions’ strengths to expand and enhance the nature and scope of future collaborations. The signing took place at Longaberger Alumni House, 2200 Olentangy River Road, before the University’s November Board of Trustees meeting.

“Ohio State and Battelle conduct research that is driven by real-world concerns, and we share a culture of sharing our discoveries with the world,” Holbrook said. “Now that we have a strong framework in place to collaborate even more closely in the future, it’s appropriate that we formally acknowledge our common goals.”

From medicine to the environment to homeland security – in projects large and small – scientists from Ohio State and Battelle work together regularly to solve problems that affect society.

“We are very proud and excited to have this strong collaborative framework in place,” Kohrt said. “OSU and Battelle are great neighbors and, with today’s MOU signing, we will be even better collaborators. During the past couple of years, we have accomplished a lot together in such areas as medical and life sciences, homeland security, transportation and environmental health. I’m very excited about the future potential of this alliance for the community, state and region.”

The memorandum establishes that both institutions will work to:
· Increase the educational, research, and technological infrastructure in their respective organizations and central Ohio by leveraging the substantial assets already available in the community.

· Spearhead the development of new regional research and technology initiatives where strategic gaps exist.

· Encourage and help guide the consolidation of the many technology-based economic development, entrepreneurial, and funding organizations in the region to increase efficiency and effectiveness.

Among the many current Ohio State-Battelle projects are:
· A new effort to develop hybrid vehicles for the United States Army.

· The establishment – with General Electric and others – of the Cardiovascular Bioengineering Enterprise, which allows researchers to better understand and treat heart disease.

· Development of a pulmonary drug delivery system that could significantly improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs in treating lung cancer.

· Research that uses statistics to tackle environmental health issues.

· And a commitment to link scientists in Columbus to the world’s fastest supercomputer, being built at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, by 2008.

Collaborations between The Ohio State University Medical Center and Battelle have developed in numerous areas over the past two years, evolving from initial partnership on the first Ohio State Third Frontier Award in 2003 in cardiovascular bioengineering and joint development of a regional economic development plan in the health sciences, to extensive partnerships that now exist in a wide range of initiatives spanning technology and health care delivery.

The new memorandum comes less than four months after Ohio State and Battelle signed an MOU with the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation to redevelop the historic Lazarus building as the Columbus Center for the Arts and Sciences. The Center will be the home for research and development activities, and function as an incubator for new business technology.